A raw, hilarious, and inspiring first-hand account of the most challenging marathon experience on the planet.
“This unforgettable book is a phenomenally uplifting example of what happens when ordinary people say yes to extraordinary things.”
—CHRISSIE WELLINGTON, OBE, four-time IRONMAN® Triathlon World Champion“Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week. takes on an unforgettable journey of exploration, discovery and triumph.”
—DEAN KARNAZES, ultramarathoner and New York Times bestselling author
Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week. takes readers inside the legendary Great World Race, the global endurance event that pushes runners beyond their physical and mental limits. From Antarctica’s frozen terrain to the sweltering heat of South America, competitors face brutal conditions, extreme travel, and relentless fatigue, with no margin for error.
From a Welsh firefighter running to raise awareness of women in her field, to the first cancer survivor to summit Mount Everest, to Olympians, world-record holders, and extraordinary athletes from everyday life—together they navigate physical pain, sleepless nights, and moments of doubt while discovering the power of community, humor, and courage in the most unexpected places.
“The Great World Race creates the space for something beyond performance: for reflection, perspective, and discovery. The role of the event is to enable that, so participants can focus on the experience itself. Ellen captures that journey with clarity and wit, reminding us that endurance is not just about finishing, but about what you discover along the way. Because in the end, that’s what The Great World Race is really about.”
—From the Foreword by DAVID KELLY, Director of The Great World Race
Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week. is a book about saying yes now and starting before you’re ready. It is an excellent selection for running clubs, endurance sports communities, book clubs, and anyone who has ever said yes to something extraordinary.
For more information, check out sevenmarathonsbook.com.
About the Author
ELLEN HUNTER GANS is a 41-time marathon finisher, IRONMAN triathlete, ultramarathon champion, and 100-mile race finisher—all things that would shock the coach from her one wildly unsuccessful year of JV track. She has also participated in The Great World Race which involved running seven marathons on seven continents in one week which she has chronicled in her upcoming book Seven Marathons. Seven Continents. One Week. A freelance writer based in the Twin Cities, Ellen has spent more than 15 years elevating brands and telling other people’s stories. She holds advanced degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Southern California. Ellen lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder. Her entire athletic career has been an exercise in leveraging stubbornness to compensate for what her body was supposedly never built to do.
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SEVEN MARATHONS. SEVEN CONTINENTS. ONE WEEK.
Written by Ellen Hunter Gans
Foreword by Davd Kelly
978-1-961293-70-0, $20.00 paperback
978-1-961293-71-7, $9.99 ebook
Published by Hatherleigh Press.
Distributed through Penguin Random House.
Available wherever books are sold.
